Aston Villa have endured a tough start to the Premier League season with just seven points on the board, but some stars like Boubacar Kamara have still shone in our Power Rankings.
Steven Gerrard managed to put some momentum back into the Birmingham natives’ term with a narrow 1-0 win over Southampton before the international break. The result ended a four-match search for three points, and returned only their second win of the campaign.
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The season started firmly on the wrong foot for Aston Villa after an opening day defeat at recently-promoted AFC Bournemouth. A win over Everton then proved to be a red herring, as further defeats followed to Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Arsenal during August.
Taking a point at home to Manchester City after holding the defending champions to a 1-1 draw redirected their path. Now, Gerrard will look to use the momentum from edging a 1-0 win over Southampton to secure win number three away at Leeds United on October 2.
But a number of Villans stars have failed to find form over their opening seven games, and will need to kick on after the international break. So, with that in mind, HITC Sport looks at the early-season Power Rankings at Aston Villa – with Kamara and Tyrone Mings the stars…
Boubacar Kamara tops early Aston Villa Power Rankings after summer switch
Kamara tops the early-season Power Rankings at Aston Villa after fitting in perfectly after a summer switch from Marseille. The Frenchman has thrived as the deep-lying option in the Villa Park engine room after accepting Gerrard’s offer to join in a Bosman transfer in May.
He instantly showed his defensive skill in their defeat at Bournemouth, took a step up with an action-packed display to beat Everton and has consistently added a sense of poise and grit to Aston Villa’s core. Yet Gerrard will still feel there is more to come from Kamara, too.
Tyrone Mings responding strongly in Power Rankings to losing Aston Villa captaincy
Mings is responding strongly to losing the Aston Villa captaincy this summer to sit second in HITC Sport’s Power Rankings. The centre-half held the armband after Jack Grealish left, but was unable to maintain his own performances with the burden of also skippering the ship.
The 29-year-old has rediscovered an imposing presence in Birmingham since John McGinn took over the armband, though. He has been strong in the air and on the ground on a very consistent level, showing an aggressive nature in the right situations with his interceptions.
Ollie Watkins has more to come but offers Aston Villa more than just his goals
Ollie Watkins will certainly believe there is more to come from his game coming out of the international break. The 26-year-old has only scored once and laid on two assists, but gives Gerrard far more than just an end product with his work leading the line yet will eye more.
Emiliano Martinez needs to find consistency to climb up the Power Rankings
Emiliano Martinez will look to find greater consistency after the international break for the goalkeeper to move up Aston Villa’s Power Rankings. The Argentina star took his first clean sheet of the term against Southampton, and was imperious to keep Manchester City level.
Steven Gerrard must wonder what he will get from Leon Bailey each game
Gerrard must wonder what he is going to get from Leon Bailey each time the Jamaica star plays with Aston Villa. The 25-year-old scored a thunderous strike against Manchester City and adds pace to their attack, but has often blown cold or faded rapidly during his outings.
Jacob Ramsey is back to being a bright spark but needs to add more punch
Jacob Ramsey has appeared back to being a bright spark for Aston Villa over recent weeks, yet will look to add more punch during the coming months. The midfielder struggled in the early stages of the term for consistency in most areas of his play, but can be full of energy.
Emi Buendia was unable to build on his early-season promise
Emi Buendia showed a lot of promise at the start of the term, but has been unable to build on those flashes. The Argentine showed great attacking awareness off the bench at home to Everton, yet his following displays have returned timid efforts beyond a high work rate.
Defensive shortcomings are blighting Lucas Digne’s season so far
Defensive shortcomings are blighting Lucas Digne’s season so far with the left-back often a shade off the pace at the back. When going forward, the Frenchman is clearly at his best as he gives Aston Villa their width. Yet even then, his final delivery has not always been there.
The weight of captaincy now starting to way heavy on John McGinn’s shoulders
The weight of Aston Villa’s captaincy is now weighing heavy on McGinn’s shoulders after he took over the role off Mings. The midfielder has, at times, tried too hard to make an impact, leaving his efforts underwhelming and far from his usual levels – both on and off the ball.
Ezri Konsa giving Steven Gerrard value after Diego Carlos injury
Ezri Konsa likely expected to lose his place in the Aston Villa line-up when Gerrard signed Diego Carlos from Sevilla. But the £26m arrival suffering a possibly season-ending Achilles rupture has afforded the 24-year-old a reprieve, with Konsa again a mainstay with Mings.
Yet Konsa still ranks lowly in HITC Sport’s Power Rankings as the Aston Villa defender has not maintained a high level of form throughout his appearances. The centre-back has had a mixed season, struggling in particular against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Arsenal.